Sound transmitting ventilator



Nov. 1, 1938. J. M. GOLDBERG 2,134,937

SOUND TRANSMITTING VENTILATOR Filed Aug. 5, 1937 nb V1 mm M N6 -w WM m w Patented Nov. 1, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIQE 3 Claims.

- the public by a plate glass partition having an opening through which money can be exchanged for tickets. This opening is of necessity positioned so low that it cannot be used for verbal communication and it is therefore customary to closure for the speech communication opening which will prevent the formation of drafts and which will permit the transmission of sound waves so that conversation may be carried on between the ticket seller and the customer.

Although this invention will be explained in connection with a ticket booth, it is to be understood that. this is merely illustrative of one use and that the invention can be used for other analogous purposes whenever desired.

This invention, briefly described, consists of a readily removable closure for an opening in a partition, formed from two disks, preferably of metal, of somewhat greater dimensions than the opening, the disks are clamped against opposite sides of the partition by means of screws and are both provided with openings so positioned that the openings in one disk are opposed by an imperforate portion of the other disk. The material surrounding the opening is bent inwardly so as to project towards the other disk but is spaced from it so as to provide a tortuous passage that willbreak up air currents but will permit sound waves to pass.

Having thus briefly described the invention, it will now be described in detail and for this purpose reference will be had to the accompanying drawing in which the invention has been illus trated in its preferred form and in which Figure 1 is a front elevation of a ticket booth showing the improved ventilator in place therein;

Figure 2 is a front elevation of the ventilator looking inwardly from the outside;

Figure 3 is an elevation looking outwardly from the inside; and 7 Figure 4 is a section taken on line 44 Fig. 2.

In the drawing numeral 5 designates a plate glass partition, but instead of glass it may be of any other suitable material. When the partition forms the wall of a ticket booth, it isprovided with an opening 6 positioned directly above the counter 1. At a suitable distance above the counter the partition is provided with a hole 8 that in the example shown is circular, but which may be of any other shape without departing from the invention. Ordinarilythe hole 8 is left open in which case a strong draft is produced that makes .the occupant of the booth uncomfortable and exposes her to the danger of contracting a cold. I

In order to prevent the formation of strong air currents and at the same time permit the sound of the voice to pass through the partition, I have provided a ventilator or closure comprising twodisks which have been designated by numerals 9 and H]. In the form illustrated, the disks are circular and are similar in appearance, although not identical. The rim II fits against the surface of the plate glass and the two disks are.

clamped in position by means of screws l2. Each disk has an inwardly extending, circular rib l3 that projects beyond. the plane of flange II and serves to center the disk in the opening. Disk 9 has an even number of long narrow openings l4 and the material between the openings, which has been designated by numeral I5, is concave on the inner surface and convex on the outer surface. Disk ID has an odd number of slots I4 separated by concavo-convex portions l5. The slots M are so positioned that they are directly across from the solid portions iii of the other disk and therefore any air currents that flow into the space between the disks will strike the concave surfaces of parts I 5 and be deflected so as to follow a. path substantially like that shown by arrows l6. Sound waves also enter the slots and pass through to the other side in a manner quite apparent.

It will be seen that due to the staggered arrangement of the slots l4 and the concave surfaces opposed to them, the velocity of the air will be retarded and any air that passes through the ventilator will emerge in a gentle stream of low velocity that will not result in dangerous drafts.

Although the openings M have been shown as long, narrow slots, it is apparent from Fig. 4 that roundholes may be used, the underlying idea being that the air streams that flow inwardly through an opening M will strike a solid wall l5 and be mushroomed so as to cut down their Velocity.

By means of this simple device, the occupant of the booth is protected from strong drafts and can at all times hear what is being said on the other side of the partition.

This device may be used in doors as well as partitions, and in any place where sound is to be transmitted from one side of a wall to another and drafts inhibited.

In the drawing, the disks have been shown circular, but they may be of any other shape.

The disks are preferably made from metal, but may be made from Bakelite, Celluloid or any similar product, including glass.

When the disks 9 and ID are made from metal, they can be plated and highly polished, and will add greatly to the ornamental appearance of the booth. In the drawing, the design has been purposely made as ornamental as is practical, but instead of the specific appearance shown, any other design that can be made to fit the situation can be substituted for the one illustrated.

Having described the invention what is claimed as new is:

l. A sound transmitting ventilator and baffle for use in an opening in a partition, comprising two disks of'somewhat greater dimensions than the opening and means for clamping the disks against opposite sides of the partition, each disk having a pluralityof long narrow openings separated by solid material, the edges of the material bounding the openings being inclined rearwardly terminating adjacent but out of contact with the solid material between the openings of the other disk whereby sound Waves may freely pass and air'currents passing through the openings will strike the solid material between the inclined sides and will be constrained to travel in tortuous paths so as to prevent the formation of strong drafts.

2. A sound transmitting ventilator and baflle for use in an opening in a partition, for preventing drafts and allowing sound waves to pass through the opening, comprising two complemental disks of somewhat larger dimensions than the opening so that their edges will lap the opening, and means for forcing the disks toward each other to clamp them in position, each disk having an inwardly extending circular rib for positioning it in a circular opening and a plurality of parallel spaced slots, the material between the slots being transversely concave on its inner surface, the slots on one disk being so positioned that they are opposed by the solid material of the other disk, the inwardly inclined edges of the slots being spaced from the inside Surface of theother disk the inclined walls of the two disks being substantially, parallel and spaced whereby any air currents entering through a slot will strike the inside surface of the other disk between two inclined sides.

3. A voice transmitting and draft preventing ventilator for use in ticket booths and the like, comprising two spaced disks each having a plurality of openings surrounded by inwardly inclined walls, adjacent walls of adjacent slots forming the sides of a trough, the disks being so positioned relative to each other that the openings in one are located opposite a solid portion of the other, so that air flowing through the ventilator will enter the openings in one disk, strike the solid material forming the bottom of a trough of the other disk and spread laterally and rearwardly, whereby its velocity will be reduced, and finally emerge through the openings in the other disk.

JACOB M. GOLDBERG. 

